Feeding regulator for textile fibers



m ATTORNEYS 5 V ,INVENTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 714) 17 [and w NQQ Nov. 6, 1962 Filed Oct. 18, 1960 Nov. 6, 1962 E. H. BOND 3,062,393

FEEDING REGULATOR FOR TEXTILE FIBERS Filed Oct. 18, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR tinned States Patent 3,062,393 FEEDING REGULATOR FOR TEXTILE FIBERS Elvin H. Bond, Kinston, N.C., assignor to Glen Raven Cotton Mills, Inc., Glen Raven, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed Oct. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 63,285 14 Claims. (Cl. 214-17) This invention relates to feeding regulators for regu lating and controlling the rate of feed of textile fibers to processing machines, and particularly to such devices to serve as feeding means for carding engines.

It is extremely important that carding engines be fed at a very even rate if best results are to be obtained. A number of difierent processes and machines have been used to obtain an even feed, but these entail the use of extra equipment, or extra steps, and still result in an uneven feed. It is common practice to feed fibers from a conventional hopper to a picker which forms a bat by lapping the fibers. Making the lap frequently results in thick and thin spots. Another manner for obtaining feed at a uniform rate is through use of weighing pans. Although this ensures a given amount of fiber feed in a set time, thick and thin spots result from the necessary steps of accumulating and batch-dropping the fibers.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a feeding regulator which may be interposed between a conventional feeding hopper and a card, and will feed the card at an even and continuous rate.

A more specific object is to provide a feeding regulator which eliminates the need for a picker.

A further object is the provision of a feeder which will be extremely sensitive and capable of operating with all types of fibers, natural and synthetic.

Another object is to provide a regulator which acts as a leveler and eliminates need for a matting device, as the feed from the regulator will be under continuous compression.

A further object is the provision of such a device which will function automatically over long periods of time without supervision, and has very few moving parts to wear out or get out of order.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of one practical embodiment thereof, when taken in conjunction with the drawings which accompany, and form part of, this specification.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a feeding regulator embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the feeding regulator;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section through the device, taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a portion of the opposite side of the device from that shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a detail view illustrating a portion of the oscillating grid.

In general, the feeding regulator has means to define a passageway along which textile fibers flow, with one wall of the passageway being constantly in motion toward \and from the fiber stream, and the opposite wall being pivoted for movement in response to movement of the first wall when fibers accumulate in the passageway. Pijvotal movement of the second wall operates a switch to control flow of fibers into the passageway. Fibers are fed from the device in a continuous bat of uniform thickness while under predetermined compression.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the feeding regulater 1 is mounted within a suitable casing, which includes side members 2 and 3, and front and back plates 4 and 5, respectively, which join the side members and outline 3,062,393 Patented Nov. 6, 1952 a rectangular housing. The casing has an open bottom 6, and its open top 7 is in communication with the outlet of a conventional feeding hopper 8. An inclined baffie 9 between the sides 2 and 3 adjacent the open top directs incoming fibers toward the center of the device. The feeding hopper will be set to drop fibers into the feeding regulator in very small tufts.

The side, or end, members of the casing define the ends of a fiber passageway 10, which has its front and back walls formed by a reciprocating grid 11 and a weighted gate 12. Fiber entering the top of the casing falls through this passageway onto a feed apron 13 which advances the fiber into the card, which is illustrated schematically by the feed roll 14 and feed plate 15 (FIGURES 2 and 3).

Grid 11 may take any suitable form, but is shown as composed of a plurality of vertical, parallel, spaced bars 16, fixed at their bottoms to a shaft 17 (FIGURES 2 and 5). The bars are connected by a bridge member 18 at their tops. The grid extends the full length of the casing between the ends 2 and 3. Shaft 17 is journalled in its ends in bearing blocks 19 which are removably connected to the end members of the casing. The side members are slotted at 26- to permit horizontal adjustment of the shaft. A plurality of openings 21 are provided around each slot to enable the bearing blocks to be connected to the side walls at a number of positions of adjustment. The top of the grid is pivotally connected to one end of a pitman rod 22 which is pivoted at its other end between a pair of disks, or a crank, 23 fixed to a shaft 24. The shaft is journalled in bearings 25 carried by the casing end members. The shaft may be rotated by any means (not shown). It will be evident that when the shaft is operated, the grid will be given an oscillatory movement about its mounting shaft 17. The angle of the grid, and therefore the rate of feed, can be changed by shifting the position of attachment of shaft 17 to the end members.

Gate 12 is composed of a plurality of parallel tines 26 (FIGURE 2), which are connected at their tops to a pivot shaft 27. Shaft 27 is mounted in the end members of the casing to permit swinging of the gate. The gate is normally held in its depending position of rest by means of a weighted lever 23 connected to shaft 27 (FIGURE 4). The weight lever can be adjusted on the shaft if desired by loosening set screw 29. The position of rest of the gate is determined by a stop screw 30 threaded through the weigh-t arm and contacting a stop plate 31 fixed to the side of the end member. Shaft 27, at the opposite end fro-m the Weight arm, carries a switch arm 32 (FIGURE 1) which carries a mercury switch 33. When the gate is moved outwardly a predetermined distance from its position of rest, the mercury switch will have its contacts bridged to trip the switch (not shown) controlling the operation of the feed hopper 8 to stop fiber feed. It may be desirable to employ some means to momentarily hold the gate in moved position to prevent the gate from bouncing when actuated and eliminate the excessive stopping and starting of the feed hopper which would result. Any conventional device such as a screw action ratchet, a a dashpot, or similar contrivance may be used. A dashpo-t 34 is shown for this purpose (FIGURES 3 and 4).

Apron 13 which receives fiber falling through passageway Itl is an endless belt 35, passing around rollers 36, mounted upon shafts 37, journalled in bearings 38 carried by the casing. The apron empties onto the card feeding plate 15. A top apron 39, in the form of a second belt 40 is mounted at an angle over the discharge end of apron 13. Belt 40 is trained about rollers 41 mounted on the casing. Both aprons may be driven by any approe3 priate means (not shown). Fiber will be fed from the casing between the two aprons and the fiber will be compressed into bat form.

'Feed hopper 8 may be any of several conventional and well-known types, but for purposes of illustration it is shown as a simple hopper, fed with fiber by an endless belt conveyor 42 which has its discharge end overlying the hopper top. Roller 43, at the conveyor discharge end, has a shaft 44 that carries a gear 4-5 in mesh with a gear 46 on drive motor 47. The motor is in circuit with a power source 48. Switch 33 is in the motor circuit and controls the fiow of power to the motor to start and stop the conveyor and thereby start and stop operation of the feed hopper.

When the regulator is to be used, the feeder will be started to feed small tufts of fibers into the top of the casing so that they will fall through the passageway la). Grid 11 will be oscillating during the entire time the device is in use. As long as the fibers fall free through the passageway onto the apron 13 there will be no movement of the gate 12 and the feed hopper will remain in constant operation. If, however, the fibers fall upon the apron 13 faster than they are fed to the card, they will pile up on the apron. The use of the two aprons provides a uniform card feed, and excess fibers will accumulate on the apron 13. When the pile reache the bottom of the gate 12, the oscillatory motion of the grid will be transmitted through the fiber pile to the gate to swing the gate about its pivot to activate switch 33 to stop the feed hopper. The return retarding device will hold the gate in its outward position momentarily so that excess fiber will be removed before the gate returns to its position of rest, under the influence of the weight, and restarts the feed hopper in operation.

It will be clear that the construction and operation of the feeding regulator will make it instantly responsive to irregular feed to control the infiow of fiber until excess quantities have been used, Because of the extremely even and continuous feed of the regulator it can be set up between the conventional feed hopper and a card and feed the card directly. Thick and thin spots will be eliminated, and highly improved carding results can be obtained.

The weight of fiber fed can be varied by adjusting the position of shaft 17 in the slots 2t), and the pressure necessary to move gate 12 can be varied by the setting of the weight arm. The gate position of rest can be changed by adjusting stop screw 30. These various adjustments will provide extreme flexibility of operation and permit excellent operation under many conditions and with different types of fibers.

While one practical embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it will be understood that the particular details of construction shown and described are merely for purposes of illustration, and the invention may take other forms within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A feeding regulator for textile fibers to receive fibers from a feed hopper comprising, means defining an upright, open-ended, walled passageway for fibers, the upper end of the passageway forming an inlet for fibers, a movable apron beneath the lower end of the passageway to receive and carry fibers from the passageway, a first wall of the passageway being mounted for oscillation toward and from a second opposite wall, means to oscillate the first wall, the second opposite wall mounted for swinging movement away from the first wall, whereby accumulated fibers upon the apron between the first wall and the second opposite wall will transmit movement of the first wall to the second opposite wall to swing the second opposite wall, and means operable by swinging movement of the second opposite wall to stop operation of the feeding hopper.

2. A feeding regulator for textile fibers as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apron has a discharge end outside the passageway, and a second apron spaced from the first and forming with the first apron a fiber compressing feed outlet from the feeding regulator.

3. A feeding regulator for textile fibers as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is means to return the second opposite wall to its passage-forming position when accumulated fibers upon the apron are removed.

4. A feeding regulator for textile fibers to receive fibers from a feed hopper comprising, a casing open top and bottom and having spaced end walls, the open top of the casing forming an inlet for fibers from the feed hopper, a Wall member extending between the end walls at one side of the casing and mounted for reciprocating movement transversely of the casing in a direction parallel to the end walls, a depending wall extending between the end walls, pivoted at its top, spaced from the reciprocable wall and swingable in the same direction as the reciprocable wall, an apron underlying the open bottom of the casing, means to reciprocate the reciprocable wall, and means operable by the depending wall when swung from its depending position to stop operation of the feed hopper, whereby accumulated fibers on the apron will serve to transmit movement of the reciprocable wall to the depending wall to swing the depending wall to stop operation of the feed hopper.

5. A feeding regulator for textile fibers as claimed in claim 4 wherein the apron has a discharge end outside the casing, and a second apron spaced above the firstmentioned apron and forming with the first-mentioned apron a fiber compressing feed outlet from the feeding regulator.

6. A feeding regulator for textile fibers as claimed in claim 4 wherein the reciprocable wall is adjustable on the casing in the direction of its reciprocable movement to vary the distance between the reciprocable wall and the depending wall to vary the weight of fiber feed.

7. A feeding regulator for textile fibers as claimed in claim 6 wherein the depending wall carries a weight lever to yieldingly hold the depending wall in a position of rest.

8. A feeding regulator for textile fiber as claimed in claim 7 wherein there is means to adjust the position of rest of the depending wall.

9. A feeding regulator for textile fibers as claimed in claim 8 wherein there is means to retard the movement of the depending wall toward its position of rest after swinging therefrom.

10. A feeding regulator for textile fibers as claimed in claim 9 wherein the apron has a discharge end outside the casing, and a second apron spaced above the firstmentioned apron and forming with the first-mentioned apron a fiber compressing feed outlet from the feeding regulator.

11. A feeding regulator for textile fibers to receive fibers from a feed hopper comprising, a casing open top and bottom and having spaced end walls, a reciprocable wall member extending between the end walls at one side of the casing and pivotally connected at its bottom to the casing for rocking movement between the end walls, means to rock the reciprocable wall member, a depending wall extending between the end walls of the casing spaced from the reciprocable wall member, the depending wall being pivotally mounted at its top to the casing, a movable apron beneath the open bottom of the casing to receive fibers falling through the casing and carry them from the casing, whereby an accumulation of fibers on the apron between the reciprocable wall member arid the depending wall will serve to transmit movement from the reciprocable wall to the depending wall to swing the depending wall, and means operable by swinging movement of the depending wall to stop operation of the feeding hopper.

12. A feeding regulator for textile fibers as claimed in claim 11 wherein, the pivotal connection of the References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kelly Mar. 19, 1918 Howe Jan. 7, 1919 Yost May 17, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland May 31, 1956 Great Britain Aug. 15, 1956 

